To me, impaired driving presents a moment when someone is driving under the influence. That could be a variety of actions, including, drinking, drugs, fatigue, or electronics. 

Impaired means “weakened” and in this case it can mean the weakness of the brain since that is the major victim of these dangerous deeds. Growing up with a dad and grandpa as truck drivers, others as machinery operators, police officers  and farmers, I see and understand  the importance of driving with awareness and safety. 

Driving under the influence is considered impaired driving and indeed a leading cause of many accidents and death. Drivers may confuse this term or misunderstand   because they do not realize the effects that alcohol and legal and illegal drugs can have on the body. Someone may think they are feeling okay and able to drive or function normally, but later come to find out they are in the ditch somewhere, or worse. 

There are other offenses when it comes to impaired driving that one may not think of. Factually, the most common form of impairment during driving is cellphone use. We are at a stage in the world where it seems much of the population is taking this risk, but particularly in the younger generations. I witness many kids, as soon as they are leaving the school parking lot, they are on their phones.  

You may think you  look down for a second, but it might turn into 30 seconds because the mind strays, and BOOM, close call or accident. Many pedestrians, other vehicles, kids, or animals could be hit. The road that I reside on has many people who run and bike on it, including me. It is along the  river with many beautiful views. Along with these views, there are many spots with low visibility due to corners or hills,  blinding  glares from the sun or wild animals running. This is one situation that I have been in when being fully aware of your surroundings is so important and driving attentively. You take a risk any time you are  impaired in any form  and this can lead  to a high chance of accident. 

When students/underage teenagers do not realize the effect that drinking/drugs has on them they may go to a party, end up drinking, and then think it is safe to drive home. They are new to understanding alcohol  and new behind the wheel. Alcohol/drugs have many side effects, including, impairment of coordination and balance, drowsiness and sedation, and reduced judgement. All things needed to be able to drive safely and responsibly. Many people don’t realize how important safe driving is, not just for you, but everyone on the road. 

If you are the designated driver for others, you have everyone's lives in your hands. If you are the one driving and you crash, you will be the one to be in trouble with the law  and your license could be taken away. Your life can change in the blink of an eye, and it can end up changing for the worst. As the designated driver, you will have the most repercussions and will have to live with those consequences from your actions. . 

A situation where impaired driving influenced my awareness was a time when  kids that I know, who were drinking, decided it was a good idea to drive their truck on the lake, not realizing the ice was not very thick and there was a pressure crack that was very dangerous. They went out on the lake, drove around and later, they ended up falling  through the ice. They were able to get out before the truck fully submerged but lost back packs,  chrome books, and the vehicle, but luckily not their lives. Driving on a lake in the winter should always be done  with great caution and awareness and definitely not done while impaired . 

Hearing my dad and grandpa talk after a long day, they see drivers falling asleep behind the wheel  and leaving their lane due to being on their phone, daily. As a commercial truck driver, you are on high defense every day for long hours at a time. Not only do you have to be highly aware of your driving, but everyone that you are passing as well. Each day when my dad leaves at 3am, I pray all those he passes are making good decisions. My uncle, who is a police officer, has to address drivers making illegal maneuvers and he always says, “It is terribly amplified when they are impaired.”

Falling asleep while driving can happen. It can be from being over tired, fatigue, or simply falling asleep. I rode with my dad a lot in my younger years, and I did not like getting up that early, I could never stay awake with him. He wakes every day at 3am and I understand why he needs to go to bed early, says no to alcohol if he will be in his truck the next day and always watching the oncoming traffic.  

These stories and situations have shaped my decisions with safe driving because I see on the daily how dangerous it can be to be impaired and driving. Having my license to drive for almost two years now, I have not been in a situation that has caused injuries. I hope I never do but I understand the consequences if it happened. It is selfish when impaired drivers do not realize the danger they are putting people in on the road. 

Drivers Education can help people realize the importance of driving safe and understanding the consequences that may come with bad choices. When in Drivers Education,  I learned many of the dangerous things that can come with driving. We were told scenarios, watched movies and saw images of terrible accidents that happened when driving. This can change the way a driver looks at risk . 

When in the learning phase, it may even scare new drivers because accidents happen as a true accident and no one involved is even impaired. Parents, babies, children, it can be tragic, sad, and scary.  Being on the road is a risk in itself. I had classmates that had past trauma due to accidents where they were injured or lost a loved one, it was so hard to hear these stories. Coincidentally, as I was working on this essay, my cousin had a car full of young children, heading into open skate, and she hit a patch of ice and was launched into the ditch. Her car totaled, some minor injuries, and one of my cousins needed plastic surgery on her face. Luckily her vehicle did its job and all the airbags and seatbelts kept everybody inside the vehicle upon impact. It was so scary to see the photos and hear about this. Realizing that road conditions can be much of a danger even when the driver is not.  

If it weren’t for in-person drivers ed, I wouldn’t be able to inform others or even remind myself of the dangerous events that can occur while driving. I feel the opportunity  to maintain your temps for a year before getting your license is a good thing and can help  understand the importance of driving. Within that year, kids will be able to experience driving through all types of weather, so you learn and feel more prepared. You have more situational practice and mature in your driving with each lesson. Observation from the back seat gives you another opportunity to learn it from a different view as well.

 I also feel  that having to test at the DMV with an instructor is very important. This will show that the student is responsible, skilled and mature enough to have the privilege. Driving while under pressure or being nervous is a good experience in itself and I was definitely nervous with my instructor that was testing me.  

A role I can obtain to help prevent impaired driving is simply reminding others of the consequences that come with it. It can be something that is easily forgotten, any form of impairment is dangerous. An easy way of reminding  people of these dangers is simply telling them. Another effective way could include making short reels about these behaviors. Many kids are on social media and if they see images that remind them of tragedies that could occur this may stick in their minds.  

Some accidents can not always be prevented, but so many can. Accidents from drinking, drugs, or texting can all be avoided. If you want to be in a safe driving environment and control what you can in the experience, it starts with yourself.